Rifled musket???

[TFoley]

Some French-made duelling pistols of the era had so-called secret rifling - from the chamber to around half-way up the bore toward the muzzle, at which point they looked to be the usual, and legal [according to the Code Duello] smoothbore.

However, 'Perfidious Albion' was not to be outdone, and introduced what was little more than the same thing, but even less obvious, called 'scratch' rifling.

 

[sportster73hp]

Got back to this toy Sunday. Was given a few rb at the match and tried them down the bore. Ball were for a 69 caliber. They fit the smooth section but stopped at the rifling ,upon seeing this i grabbed a .575 rb. It fell to the breach.
I think maybe a liner was installed at the smaller diameter. Dont know when or why
Unless the same place was still using the same proof stamp I believe it to be the original outer barrel body and not from a newer gun.

 

[nkbj]

If you can sir, I'm looking forwards to learning the diameter of the rifled portion and certainly the rifling geometry.

 

[FlinterNick]

The French experimented with rifling military smoothbore arms.

The French Calvary Carbine of 1740 had a 37 inch .66 caliber barrel that was smooth for the first 7 or 8 inches of the barrel. The intention was that it would be easy to ram down paper cartridges this way. This was effective however it did not solve the issue of the fouling out of early rifled Muskets.

They also tried this on some of the lighter Charleville muskets but found that the depth of the rifling reduced the barrel’s integrity and strength. The result was that they had to increase the barrel thickness which resulted in a barrel that typically weighed 4 lbs to a barrel that weighed over 5 - 6 lbs. Increasing the weight of the entire musket. Heavy muskets were not well received by the rank and file military.

The rifling of the earlier muskets has kind of handicapped by the use of round balls And the quality of the black powder of the era.

 

[hawkeye2]

Sportster73hp what actual diameter were the .69 round balls you tried?

 

[sportster73hp]

I will check the dia when i get home.
As to the rifling, there is an obvious step and a slight burr where it starts.
I have some .600 ball somewhere i will try one of that size